It has been just over a year and a half since we last visited The Signet Library in the heart of Edinburgh Old Town to attend the beautiful wedding of Ross and Vivienne.
Step through the doors and you will notice just how welcoming and calm it is inside in contrast to the bustling Royal Mile.
The Lower Library where the reception was held has now been restored to its former grandeur and reopened under the name Colonnades, which is a reference to the ornate, classical columns that grace the building. The tables have mirrored surfaces and are set with the finest bespoke silverware, some of which are original to the building.
Our glasses were filled with chilled sparkling Allier Gran Brut, and we also ordered a couple of pots of their special Signet Blend from their range of teas by the Wee Tea Company – a rich breakfast style blend with a balanced mix of Assam and Ceylon tea.
We were first served a warming cup of soup before the first course of delectable freshly made sandwiches and savouries were brought to our table on a silver tiered stand.
Mini prawn cocktails, sausage rolls, warm cheese and celery tartlets…it all looked so good that it was hard to choose which to start with first. I was particularly a fan of the mini scones with goats cheese – mini scones are definitely the way to go.
At the bottom tier were some of the more traditional sandwiches, with the classic egg sandwich given a little twist and topped with a quail’s egg and caviar.
If you thought that the savoury delights looked impressive, then take a look at the stand of desserts and patisserie that arrived later on…
The miniature desserts ranged from the fruity peach melba, and tangy lemon meringue tartlets to the more indulgent chocolate and sea salt caramel tartlets. The strawberry mille feuilles were a little tricky to eat but nonetheless delicious. My favourite was undoubtedly the mini raspberry eclair which was sweet and dainty.
And last but not least, were more mini plain and raisin scones which we generously smothered with jam and clotted cream.
After all that rich food, we were served a palette cleanser – a zesty lemon sorbet served in a tall glass.
Intrigued to see what the hall upstairs looked like in the day, they kindly agreed to our request to have a quick visit. Ascending up the stairs, the large doors were pushed open to reveal the great hall which looked just as grand.
And here are a couple of photos from that enchanting evening not so long ago…
If you enjoy afternoon tea as much as I do, then I would definitely recommend a visit – a decadent afternoon guaranteed.
The Cheekster, signing out x
